The present invention relates to a device for cooling regions with limited thermal exchange surface, in particular for electronic components.
As is known, most of the electronic components currently used in control circuits have an extremely low efficiency, usually approximately 10%, and therefore most of the electric power supply is converted into heat. On the other hand, in order to ensure the correct operation of these components, they must be kept within a rather narrow temperature range. In view of the fact that the thermal exchange surface available to remove the excess heat from said electronic components is rather small, usually a few square centimeters, the problem of eliminating the heat produced by the operation of electronic components is particularly felt.
A plate with a substantially planar face, to be coupled to the region of the electronic components to be cooled, is currently used to eliminate the excess heat from components of this kind; a plurality of channels is defined in the plate and extends from a single duct through most of the surface to be coupled to the region which should be cooled. Said duct is fed with a refrigerating fluid, usually freon, which is compressed and refrigerated through a conventional thermodynamic cycle. An injection nozzle is arranged at the input of said duct and causes the expansion, or vaporization, of the refrigerating fluid, which successively flows through the branched channels and cools the plate, thus removing heat from the region to be refrigerated.
Due to the advancement of technology, which has led to a rapid decrease in the dimensions of electronic components, such known devices are very often insufficient to ensure the operation of said components within their optimum temperature range, with consequent reduction in the reliability and durability of said components.
Due to the branched structure of the channels inside the plate, when the plate dimensions are reduced, consequently reducing the dimensions of the channels, the amount of removable heat is in fact considerably reduced.